Retail price of refined sugar up 24%–report

THE prevailing retail price of refined sugar as of July 9 went up by nearly a quarter compared to last year’s level, according to data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

SRA indicated in its report on the country’s sugar supply and demand situation that the prevailing retail price of sugar reached P105 per kilogram (kg), 24.26 percent higher than the P84.50 per kg recorded a year ago.

Data from the SRA also showed that the prevailing prices of raw and washed sugar went up by 35.94 percent and 34.85 percent to P87 and P89 per kg, respectively.

In contrast, the prevailing wholesale price of refined sugar declined by 1.2 percent to P4,100 per 50-kg (Lkg) bag, compared to the P4,150 per Lkg recorded a year ago.

The prevailing wholesale prices of raw and refined sugar, however, were higher during the period. Raw sugar was priced at P3,650 per Lkg while washed sugar was sold for P3,800 per Lkg.

Data from the SRA also showed that raw sugar supply during the period fell by 5.25 percent to 1.937 million metric tons (MMT), from last year’s 2.044 MMT.

As for refined sugar, figures from the SRA indicated that imports propped up total supply as of July 9. Total physical refined stock more than doubled to 443,841.40

CCA Manila ties up with govt, IRRI to develop rice recipes

CCA Manila has partnered with the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to develop a range of recipes using Malusog Rice as the main ingredient.

The culinary school said the collaboration aims to celebrate Nutrition Month and promote the nutritional benefits of Malusog Rice, a groundbreaking variety of rice developed to help address vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in the country.

“We are excited to partner with the Malusog Rice Program to develop Malusog Rice Recipes that not only showcase the versatility of this remarkable rice variety but also contribute to addressing the pressing issue of vitamin A deficiency in our country,” Dr. Ma. Veritas Luna, Chancellor for Education of CCA Manila, said in a statement.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire mothers, cooks, chefs, and consumers, in general, to explore the vast culinary possibilities of Malusog Rice and enhance the overall nutrition of our nation.”

Rice, the very heartbeat of Filipino cuisine, constitutes almost 40 percent of the Filipinos’ diet.

“But as much as we adore this staple, it falls short in providing essential micronutrients, like vitamin A. Improving the nutritional content of rice could have a significant impact on the nutritional intake of rice-consuming countries like the Philippines, where dietary inadequacy remains high among all socioeconomic classes, compromising the health and potential of our children and families,” said CCA Manila.

Malusog Rice, also known as Golden Rice, was developed by Prof. Ingo Potrykus and Prof. Peter Beyer, with the technology being donated to developing countries like the Philippines. The Malusog Rice Program of DA-PhilRice, is leading the development, production, and deployment of Malusog Rice in the Philippines, in collaboration with IRRI and other government and nongovernment agencies.

Malusog Rice has undergone rigorous biosafety assessments from reputable organizations such as Health Canada, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America, and DA-Bureau of Plant Industry. It has been determined to be as safe, with the added benefit of beta-carotene in the grain, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Malusog Rice offers significant benefits to the Filipino population. It can help improve the diets of children, who are often deficient in vitamin A, by providing 30-50 percent of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin A. In fact, one cup of cooked Malusog Rice can provide as much beta-carotene as 4 cups of cooked kangkong (water spinach), a commonly consumed vegetable.

Moreover, Malusog Rice is not significantly different from commonly available rice varieties in taste and cost. Initial taste tests have shown that participants could not distinguish between Malusog Rice and regular rice. Ongoing consumer sensory evaluation in the pilot provinces confirms that the taste of Malusog Rice is comparable to that of regular rice.

The partnership between CCA Manila and the Malusog Rice Program aims to develop recipes that highlight the versatility of Malusog Rice by utilizing various indigenous ingredients, cooking methods, and heirloom techniques from the Philippines. These recipes, accompanied by comprehensive nutritional value calculations, will be designed to feed a typical Filipino family of six at an affordable cost of P300.

To maximize the impact of the Malusog Rice Recipes, various formats such as recipe cards, cookbooks, and posters will be utilized for dissemination. A soft launch of the recipes is planned to coincide with the national celebration of Nutrition Month.

“By combining culinary expertise with scientific innovation, the recipes will revolutionize the way Filipinos perceive and consume rice in their daily lives,” said CCA Manila.

MT during the period from last year’s 195,436.45 MT. Based on the Department of

Agriculture’s latest monitoring of public markets in the National Capital Region, the prevailing retail price of sugar ranged from P85 to P110 per kg for refined sugar, P82 to P90 per kg for washed sugar and P78 to P90 for brown sugar.

On Tuesday, the SRA rejected a proposal from farmer’s groups to move the milling of sugarcane to August.

SRA Acting Administrator Pablo Azcona said the start of operations of sugar mills will start on September 1, as scheduled.

Azcona said starting milling operations earlier caused farmers to miss income opportunities worth at least P700 million.

Recently, the Sugar Council composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers’ Associations

Inc., National Federation of Sugarcane Planters and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers asked the SRA to consider advancing the start of the milling season. They said sugarcanes that were planted early need to be harvested soon to preserve their sucrose content.

Sugar Order 1 issued by the SRA in August 2022 estimated that the Philippines will produce 1.876 MMT of raw sugar the current crop year which will end on August 31.

As total domestic raw sugar withdrawal could reach 2.030 MMT, the government had decided to classify all sugar produced in the current crop year as “B” or for the domestic market. Raadee S. Sausa